Fundamentalism?

There was a recent article on Cracked.com that caught my attention (of course it did, I read it almost religiously (no pun intended)). The article was titled “5 Insane Lessons from My Christian Fundamentalist Childhood” and featured a guest writer who had had bad experiences as a child in a cultic quasi-religious group called Quiverfull. I’ll be honest – even though I know a bit about fundamentalism (and why it’s not really Reformed, biblical theology), I’d never heard of Quiverfull. But it was an interesting article and a good insight into the minds of people who turn the Bible into a basis for a cult.

As a Christian myself, I’m naturally defensive of attacks on fundamentalism, even though I poke plenty of fun at them behind the scenes. Fundamentalism (not cultism, mind you) is still a billion times better than something like nondenominationalism, which is merely relative therapeutic moralism (like Rachel Held Evans believes).

My usual response to things like this is “WHAT?? Sinful people made mistakes??” The article (and other material by the author) insinuates that the entire concept of fundamentalism (believing…what the Bible says, I guess?) is wrong. However, merely because some men turn Christianity into a power religion (Islam, Mormonism, Romanism) doesn’t make Christianity itself wrong. It just makes them wrong.

Fundamentalism is not built on racism and colonialism. Quiverfull might be. But Christianity isn’t, and none of the “fundies” that I know believe that. We believe that we have been blessed with things like A/C and running water and an advanced civilization firstly because of God’s grace, and secondly so that we might have the resources to reach those in need of the Gospel. I laughed at a quote that said:

The “10/40 Window,” aka every country that needs Jesus more than clean water or a stable government.

As it happens, he who drinks will thirst again…(John 4:14), and stable government is based on…wait, don’t tell me.

For all the bad things that no doubt were inflicted upon the author, Christianity is not some vast conspiracy by men to keep women under control. That’s what Islam is and we’ll have none of that. Children are a blessing from the Lord because they bring joy when viewed rightly.

Feminists like Hännah Ettinger and Rachel Held Evans are reactionaries against a patriarchy that exists mostly in their minds. There are (of course!) abuses of power, but it’s easy to blame someone when you’re just butthurt at having to give up your own desires in order to follow Christ.

When mortal men are given power, they are tempted to misuse that. But the solution is not to flush the Epistles down the drain because you think that’s the problem. No – you’re the problem. The man is the problem. The “patriarchy” is not the problem. The problem is that neither of you is reading Romans, Hebrews, Timothy, et al. correctly. Sorry, but if you reject Paul, you reject He who sent him.

This was also funny:

Hännah Ettinger…runs a magazine for survivors of fundamentalist homeschooling.

Wow. If I’d known I could pull a “persecuted!” card because I was homeschooled, the world would have been my oyster! As it turns out, I’m thankful to have had parents that loved me and God enough to train me up in the way I should go, and it hasn’t hurt me one little bit.

It’s really sad to see people who claim to be Christians calling Christianity a “horrible ideology.” I’m sorry if Christ offends them. Instead of rejecting the Bible, maybe they should read it sometime. You want to fix problems in the Church? Go to church on Sunday, baptize your children, build a biblical family, teach them the Bible, teach them how to live as befits a follower of Christ.